Good "Glass Cleaning" article

mShu7 · Dec 5, 2008

I was browsing through some past articles on Auto Laundry News Magazine and came across this one. Glass cleaning seems to be one of the hardest, most hated parts of detailing (at least for some of us). I think it's a good read so I thought I'd post it for others here.

Auto Laundry News - October 2007 said:

Detailing - October 2007

Window Cleaning
By Kevin Farrell

Window cleaning has always been a challenge for both detailers and car washes. It’s an area where customers demand perfection, but more often than not, they are dissatisfied with the look of their glass. We all try to provide streak-free and crystal-clear glass, but streaking remains a huge concern. In order to produce perfect windows every time, we need to understand the many variables that cause window streaks, have a good technique, and use quality cleaners and towels to produce perfect windows every time.

WHAT CAUSES STREAKS?

Streaks are caused by a number of things. Some are easily controlled. Some are not. Let’s take a look at the causes.

Window Cleaner
Many window cleaners contain a combination of ingredients that will clean, but may also cause steaks, including alcohol, ammonia, and detergents. Depending on how fast or slow these ingredients evaporate, and how highly concentrated they are, streaking problems may occur. The residue from these ingredients sometimes dries and evaporates on the glass before your window towel can remove them. Window cleaners need to be properly diluted; more is not better. The higher the concentration level of the cleaner, the greater the possibility of streaking.

Once you have the correct dilution of window cleaner, and are sure the cleaner is not the source of streaking, other causes can be looked for.

Type of Towel
With so many types of towels available, it is very confusing as to which is best for window cleaning. You need a towel that is absorbent, lint free, and actually helps clean the glass. Many detailers still use terry cloth towels to clean windows, and unfortunately, they are not the best choice. Once terry cloth towels get too wet, they lose absorption, and will only spread the dirt and moisture around until it evaporates on its own, leaving the glass full of streaks. These towels also leave a tremendous amount of lint.

I have been searching for the best available window towel for years, and have yet to find the perfect one. However, your best choice is a microfiber towel with a waffle weave, or a 100-percent cotton surgical towel. I use these in combination, which will be discussed later.

Contamination
Contamination is another source of streaking and may come from a few sources. If you are using your “window” towels for any other purpose, they may be contaminated with other products. I have seen detailers use a towel to wipe excess tire dressing from wheels and use that exact same towel to clean windows — and they wonder why the windows aren’t coming out so well! Many detailers have towels dedicated to window cleaning only, but wash them along with towels that have been used to wipe up excess tire dressing, polish, or wax. All of this residue may contaminate window towels if they are washed together. Window towels need to be washed separately from other towels. It is also a good idea to run them through a second rinse cycle to fully wash away any contamination.

Insufficient Cleaner
Many detailers simply do not use enough window cleaner. They think that too much liquid will take too long to clean, or they are afraid to get their window towel too wet. Consequently, they use a small amount of cleaner and let the towel do the rest. The cleaner gets wiped up and dried too quickly, and the dirt is just pushed around the glass and not totally picked up, causing streaking.

Spraying Cleaner on the Towel
Many detailers spray the window cleaner directly on the towel. This is incorrect. By spraying the cleaner on the towel, you are letting the cleaner soak into the towel rather than have it soak into the dirt that is on the glass. Not enough product is used, which results in streaks.

Haste
Many detailers simply rush the entire process. They think the glass is fairly clean to begin with, so they give the glass a quick spritz, quickly run the towel back and forth, and assume they have correctly cleaned the window. Being in a hurry also leads to poor technique, which further enhances the possibility of streaking.

FOLK LORE

Some people think they have magic formulas for window cleaning such as special cleaners or towels. Others subscribe to the theory that you do not need a window cleaning “towel” at all. These folks used to use newspaper to clean windows with very good results. Newspaper is very absorbent and lint free, and is virtually cost-free and plentiful. When a piece gets too saturated, simply grab a new sheet. It seemed to work well. There is a logical reason for this. The newsprint — the ink used on the newspaper — used to be kerosene based. Kerosene is a terrific cleaner. It also does not evaporate very easily, and people used to simply spray some water on a glass surface, wipe it clean with newspaper, and produce streak-free windows. However, the ink in newspaper is no longer kerosene based, so newspaper simply is not as effective as it used to be. Although it is very absorbent, it’s very difficult to hold and get flat surfaces to wipe across the glass. You generally need to “scrunch” the newspaper up in your hand, which makes it very easy to miss certain spots, like corners. These missed spots can be streaks, or dirt and haze that never gets fully cleaned off the surface. Newspaper is not a good choice for a window cleaning “towel.”

TOWEL CHOICES

Before we talk about the correct towels to use, let’s make sure we know what towels not to use. Paper towels are not a good choice. They are absorbent, but many people continue to use the same piece even after its soaking wet. They also will leave a lot of lint. The same also holds true for napkins, tissues, old T-shirts, handkerchiefs, etc. We need to have the correct towels to do a great job.

I use a combination of different towels. We all agree that microfiber is the best choice for cleaning. However, some microfiber towels do not absorb water very well, which is problematic in window cleaning. A regular microfiber towel tends to push the liquid around the glass and never absorbs it. You need a towel that not only will clean, but will also absorb. With that in mind, I use a surgical towel to perform the “cleaning” part of the process, and use a waffle weave microfiber towel as a “final buff,” to ensure any and all residue has been wiped off.

A surgical towel is 100 percent cotton, lint free, and absorbent, but also has some bite to it, and will dig in and clean the glass. The waffle weave microfiber towel is much more absorbent than regular microfiber, and will absorb any residual moisture and “buff” the glass clean.

BEFORE YOU START

The first thing to look for before cleaning windows is any glue residue from old decals or stickers on the glass. Use an older towel to remove the glue and keep your actual window towels clean. You never want any glue on your towels; it will smear all over the glass you are trying to clean.

There are some things that need to be done before you start to clean the glass. You need your towels nearby. You can’t spray the glass, walk around looking for a towel, take a phone call, have a drink, and then clean the glass. It just won’t work. You need to be ready to go.

Next, the towel needs to be folded correctly to perform its job. Most towels are approximately 16 by 16 inches. If you fold it across twice, you will have an 8x8 towel, which fits perfectly in your hand and will give you a good cushion, be more absorbent, and allow you to easily maneuver the towel around the glass.

THE TECHNIQUE

My “cleaning” window towel is the surgical towel. My “buffing” window towel is the waffle weave micro fiber that will finish off and “buff” the glass.

My towels are pre-folded and ready to go. I spray the window cleaner directly on the glass to wet and emulsify the dirt and haze that has accumulated. The cleaner should cover almost all of the glass, but not start to run down the surface. Immediately after spraying the glass, I clean it with my “cleaning” window towel. First you want to box out the area and cover all four corners of the glass and really make sure the towel gets into those tight corners. Then you want to overlap your stokes by about 50 percent in either a back and forth or up and down motion and cover the entire surface. You do not want to move in a circular direction because areas may be missed.

If your cleaning towel starts to get too dirty or too wet, open up the folded towel and use a fresher side. There is no need to wipe the window totally dry with this towel. With a little moisture still left on the glass, quickly switch to your “buffing” towel to absorb and buff the remaining moisture. This process may seem like extra work, but it ensures that the glass will be streak free.

WHICH ONE FIRST?

Your choice of which window to start with is totally arbitrary, but I do have an opinion and hopefully a logical explanation of where to begin.

I begin with the front windshield. This is a fairly difficult glass to clean on most vehicles because of the very pronounced slope on many of today’s cars. I prefer to start with the most difficult glass first. Plus, I know my towels are fresh and clean and this gives me the best chance at producing a streak free finish. This is the most important piece of glass to clean; the customer is constantly looking out of the front windshield. If you mess this glass up, the customer most certainly will notice and will most likely start to look for other problems.

Next, I do the rear windshield because it’s the second most looked through window, and also a very difficult piece of glass to clean. Many times you will have to contort your body to reach the tight areas in the interior, while also being careful not to hit the glass with your sweaty forearms. We all know the feeling of trying to clean a hot and difficult interior on a sweltering summer day. One wrong move with your sweaty arms will mean doing that part of the glass all over again. Take your time and get it right! Don’t rush! Being in a huge hurry is a leading cause of streaks. You must be able to expertly navigate around the third brake light housing and reach the towel as deep into the rear shelf as possible to get that film at the very bottom of the rear windshield.

Once the very challenging front and rear windshields are cleaned, I can now stand back up, get out of the car and clean the side glass. Do not forget to lower the side glass down an inch or two to expose the upper lips of the glass. This generally is a very dirty area. After cleaning the upper lips of all the glass, I will most likely have to throw my “cleaning” towel in the wash basket. It’s now pretty wet and dirty and I do not want to risk re-depositing that dirt back onto the glass. So I simply discard that “cleaning” towel and introduce a new one to clean all the side glass. My “buffing” towel should not get too wet or dirty, and can stay in play.

DOUBLE CHECK

After all the glass is completed, look for streaks. It is better that you find them rather than the customer. Examine the glass from different angles both inside and out and look for streaks. A perfect window will look like there is no window there at all.

As you can see, window cleaning is a little more involved than it looks. Many customers will base their decision to continue using your services on the cleanliness of their windows. Don’t let this often overlooked problem drive customers away.

Kevin Farrell owns and operates Kleen Car (Kleen Car|professional detailing training|equipment), a full-service auto-detailing business located in New Milford, NJ. Kevin is also an instructor for a detailing program he developed for, and in conjunction with, BMW of North America. His background includes auto dealership experience and training through DuPont, General Motors, and I-Car.
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Having used surgical towels at a local detail shop that I helped at for about 6 weeks, I agree with his comments about surgical towels. They are fantastic for glass cleaning. Doing a Google search, here's just one retailer I found to buy from: Cotton Wiping Cloths, Blue Huck Surgical Towels, Surgical Hand Towels, Lint Free Cotton

Happy glass cleaning!

JLs Detailing · Dec 5, 2008

Excellent article and great read. Thanks for posting that and count me in with you as one that hates to do glass. I am going to get me some of those surgical towels and give them a go with my WW MFs.

Buddy · Dec 5, 2008

I know far to much about glass cleaning now. Holy crap...Thank you for sharing. That was nice of you...:thumb:

mShu7 · Dec 5, 2008

Anytime guys!

Carn · Dec 5, 2008

Excellent read, thanks for sharing

DLR Detailing · Dec 5, 2008

Haven't heard from you in awhile. Are you keeping busy in your part of the state? :shrug:

Thanks for sharing that info with us! :thumb: :applause:

Looks like I need to buy more towels.

mShu7 · Dec 5, 2008

DLR Detailing said:

Haven't heard from you in awhile. Are you keeping busy in your part of the state? :shrug:

Thanks for sharing that info with us! :thumb: :applause:

Looks like I need to buy more towels.
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Yeah, I've been kinda MIA lately. A lot of unfortunate things have been going on in my life. About 3 weeks after I moved into the shop that I found, my dad passed away. A week or two after that, I found out that I didn't have a shop anymore. I had moved in early and the guy that was supposed to buy the building backed out at the last minute, leaving me high and dry. It wouldn't have been so bad but I had just sold my detailing trailer. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, I've spent the last two months dealing with the loss of my dad, helping my mom move, and looking for a new place to run my business out of. Fortunately, I've recently found something just a couple minutes from my house. I hope to move into it sometime in January. Although, I recently found out I've gotta have another back surgery (4th in 10 yrs.) which will probably be sometime in January or February.

So, these last few months of this year have not been very good. The only bright spot is this new (to me) building that has come along. I'm looking forward to a much better 2009. Sorry to bring this thread down!

Anyway, how's business been for you? Has the economy had an effect on it at all?

-Mike

DLR Detailing · Dec 5, 2008

Man...I am sorry to hear about your Dad. :sorry: I understand what you're going through. That is an extremely difficult thing to deal with.

I saw your web site was down and noticed it look like you were making some changes to your business. Hate it that you had that mess to handle as well. Now more surgery for you, dude, that is rough!

Things are going well over here. I still have vehicles scheduled 1 month out, down from 2 months this late summer & fall. Remember, that is mostly weekends only for me. Only quickies on a work night. People seem to be taking better care of their rides, finally.

I hope everything starts to turn around for you soon! Keep in touch.

Take care,
Dave

mShu7 · Dec 5, 2008

Thanks, I appreciate it. As they say, what doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger. If I can get through this, I think I'll be pretty damn strong!

We took the website down when I moved into the first shop because it had all the mobile stuff on there. Now that I've not generated any business income for the last few months, the website may look like it currently does for a while. A good website isn't cheap

Glad to her biz is still going good for ya. If you're that booked in winter, you're doing good!

Hopefully, by spring/summer I'll have things up and running good at the shop. Maybe I'll have to have a little meet for the local detailers that I've met through the boards. Do some some product/tool testing, exchange samples/tips, cook a few burgers, etc.

DG 501 · Dec 5, 2008

mShu7, Thanks for the article! It was very imformative!
So sorry to hear about the loss of your father, back issues and business issues!!! I know this is a difficult time on you and your family!
Best Wishes is 2009!

DLR Detailing · Dec 5, 2008

mShu7 said:

Thanks, I appreciate it. As they say, what doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger. If I can get through this, I think I'll be pretty damn strong!

That's for sure! I'll be thinking of you and your family.

Hopefully, by spring/summer I'll have things up and running good at the shop. Maybe I'll have to have a little meet for the local detailers that I've met through the boards. Do some some product/tool testing, exchange samples/tips, cook a few burgers, etc.

I'm in for that! :campfire: :applause2:
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:support:

mShu7 · Dec 5, 2008

Anytime DG. Thanks for the support!

mShu7 · Dec 5, 2008

Thanks DLR!

Dust2Glory · Dec 5, 2008

thanks for the read... my MIL works in a hospital and can get those rags all the time... I'm gonna hit her up!!

Carn · Dec 6, 2008

Eish mShu7, sounds like you need a break. If you need to I can possibly help you with your site, I am no expert but have done a few sites, etc and always willing to lend a hand to a fellow DB'er

mShu7 · Dec 6, 2008

Thanks Carn, appreciate the offer. I've got a web guy. My wife and I just need to come up with new ideas for him to turn into a site. Thanks again!

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Good "Glass Cleaning" article

mShu7 Birth of a Detailer

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Carn Welcome to Detailing

DLR Detailing Jedi Nuba

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DLR Detailing Jedi Nuba

mShu7 Birth of a Detailer

DG 501 Jedi Nuba

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mShu7 Birth of a Detailer

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Carn Welcome to Detailing

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Good "Glass Cleaning" article

mShu7 Birth of a Detailer

JLs Detailing DB Pro Supporter

Buddy Getting to know Detailing

mShu7 Birth of a Detailer

Carn Welcome to Detailing

DLR Detailing Jedi Nuba

mShu7 Birth of a Detailer

DLR Detailing Jedi Nuba

mShu7 Birth of a Detailer

DG 501 Jedi Nuba

DLR Detailing Jedi Nuba

mShu7 Birth of a Detailer

mShu7 Birth of a Detailer

Dust2Glory Nuba Guru

Carn Welcome to Detailing

mShu7 Birth of a Detailer

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